News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-01-27
A TINY GIRL THIEF.
TAUGHT TO TEAL BY A NOITAN AND
SENT TO WORK TIE BIG STORES.
Caught in # store with Sis in her Pocket
The Woman'S Audacity-.A Remarka-
hIa
GFrnm the n. Y. Herald. !

stealing pocketbooks, GEMS to have
been tutored by female Fagin. The
little girl, who is between eleven and
twelve years old, is very pretty. with
large blue eyes, long brown silky hair,
| an oval face and with a most artless eX-
| preston.
1t is a very curious case and brings to
| light q new feature of criminallty N
this country. During the holidays
many complaints had been made IN
stores by ladies of pocketbooks stolen.
| Detectives are ever on the watch, and
when they failed to detect an adult
| they came to the conclusion that child
| rem must be at work.
| Therefore an eye was kept on the
small fry who come in and out looking
at the toys. Mrs. Eunice Stanley, the
detective, noticed Lillian roaming
about for several days, apparently adj
miring the toys. At last she discover
ed her in the act of stealing lady's
pocketbooll. The child was taken to a
private room, searched and $118 in
bills were found tucked in her stock
| ings, and she had several pocketbooks
about her and some small change.
The child was remarkably cool and
prattled away when asked questions as
| if she had done good deed instead of
a bad one. She told many lies about
herself and her connections.
Some time after the arrest slender,
dark featured woman came into the
store to inquire after Lillian and, when
told what had happened, Indignantly
| exclaimed to Mr.. Jerome B. v heeler,
| one of the firm
THAT is my child; how dare you de-
tain herr"
Then the full circum tances were re-
lated to her and she added
"Why, that money that you have ia
ken from her belongs to me. l gave
her 5000 this morning to make pur-
chases."
MIR. Wheeler was about to de ain her,
but the woman suddenly turned and
hurried away. At half-past five P. NJ,
however, she returned with a man who
said he was her husband. The woman
then admitted that she was not Lillian
Smiths mother, and told Mr.. Wheeler
that the child's father was an eminently
respectable man and that this blow
would ruin his character with his en-
ployers and probably kill him. Mr..
Wheeler subsequently said that this
was so, and that he had no wish to do
an innocent man an injury He allowed
the man and woman to go, detained the
child, but next day put her in the
hands of her friends. On Tuesday
night Mr. u heeler said to the reporter
it would be cruel thing to publish the
name of a man who was in good repute
because his daughter had been led
astray. But he said he would consult
Inspector Byrnes. The Inspector had
already heard of the case. and yesterday
arrested Lille and her "friend," who is
Mrs Annie Smith, of No. 1, 663 Lexing
ton avenue The woman and the girl
were taken to court and remanded for
further investigation.
In the most innocent manner possible
the child, who is very nicely dressed,
told the following story
81 live at No. 218 East nth street.
About a month ago | went to live with
Mrs. Smith, friend OF my mother. |
was there about a week when one day
she took me on a Third avenue elevated
railroad train to Fourteenth street. We
went toward Macy's When near the
SlOl6 MIS-. Dllllln SdlIl ~ LIlC
''We must not be seen together. You
go n first. will me t you inside"
1--WE met inside and Mrs. Smith said
to me-
"Iool around. I would like to find
a pocketbook here some place
''Wc both went up stairs, but came
down in a few minutes and saw a
satchel on one of the counters, with
lady standing by. l walked over, and
when she looked around l took the
pocketbook out of the satchel, brought
it up stairs and gave it to Mrs. Smith.
She went into the toilet room, took the
money from the pocketbook and threw
the book away We then came down
stairs and she bought me two night
dresses. On our way up town she re
peatedly said to me-
Iillie, you are smart, bright
gill
1.-TWO days after Mrs Smith said to
me Il would like to have some more
money. Can You 90 down town and
get some? ! said thought CO Id
went down to Macy's alone and stole
three pocketbooks, all out of ladies'
satchels, altogether about $50 After
taking out the money l threw the peck
etbooks into the gutter in the street
and went home. | handed the money
to Mrs Smith She had company at
he time and did not say anything to
me A few days after she said to me-
Iii Ian, l need some more money.
Can you not get me some?'
81 said 4 guess so, l will go down
town and try Before going she gave
me twenty cents to pay my fare. l
went to Hearn's store and stole two
pocketbooks containing about $50 -
from two satchels which LADIES held in
their hands. They were looking at
something when [ took the pocket
books. threw away the pocketbooks
when | had taken the money out, as |
did not want to be arrested with them
on me. | gave Mrs. Smith the money.
A week after tt at | went to a toy store
in Fourteenth street and took from
three satchels three pocketbooks, con-
tanning altogether ST.. l went home
and gave the money to Mrs. Smith
About a week after Mrs. Smith brought
me down to Stems store, IN Twenty
third street. | stole two pocketbooks
from two satchels One had SO, the
other So with which | bought some
things. She went o see lady friend;
| went home"
In this way the child went on to tell
circumstantially of other thefts she had
committed at the instance of Mrs.
Smith. Mrs. Smith told her she
wanted $50 and desired her to GO to
Macys. She stole several pocketbooks,
and with part of the money b ught
herself hat for IS a d dress for $12
This was on Christmas Eve. Mrs.
Smith and her husband took the child
TO the Theatre Comique in Harlem.
There were no eats, so Mr. Smith gave
$40 for a private box and subsequently
expended So for supper. On Monday
Mrs Smith told Lillian she would have
to 90 and steal me money to pay for
the box. The girl went to Nacy's and
was arrested as stated.
On Tuesday night, at home, Mrs.
Smith said to er:-'Tf there is any
trouble say you never gave me money.
| will swear to it."
At the store, on Monday Mr. Smith
asked he girl who taught her to steal,
and she innocently said, "My grand e.
father and grandmother. This she now
denies